The Green Fox lived in the lowlands of Scotland before the last ice age where its green coat allowed it to hunt freely in the fields and grasslands of the region. This natural camouflage meant the fox was able to pick off its prey with ease and the numbers of green foxes proliferated to such an extent that many foxes had to move further and further away to catch prey.

The longer journey time spent on hunts meant an increase in pressure on the leg joints of the foxes and soon the species began to suffer from arthritic hips and ankle joints. Scientists have found evidence of this condition in skeletons of green foxes discovered in the Melrose and Selkirk areas of the Scottish Borders.

This is an extract from the book Animals Evolution Avoided